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A story has gone viral about a woman in her 40s who lost her temper and verbally abused a high school student after he called her 'Ajumma' at the gym. On the 22nd, JTBC's 'Incident Chief' shared the story of 'A,' a high school freshman who has been hitting the gym since winter break to get in shape. Recently, while A was on the treadmill, a woman who appeared to be in her mid-to-late 40s shouted at him, 'Hey, Mister (Ajeossi)! Why are you running so loudly?!'

A replied, 'I’m sorry. But I’m a student, not a mister... Ajumma.' At this, the woman suddenly became hysterical. She started hurling insults at A’s appearance, saying things like, 'You’re so ugly, how can you be a student?', 'Even 60-year-old men look better than you,' and 'You’re ugly because of your acne.'

She even went as far as sexual harassment, saying, 'Don’t go around calling yourself a man.' Her tirade continued until bystanders stepped in to stop her. Since A already struggled with self-esteem due to his acne, this incident deeply wounded him. He’s currently in a state where he can’t even look in the mirror.

A’s parents eventually met with the woman to try and talk it out, but she maintained a defiant attitude, saying, 'Was it right for him to call a stranger Ajumma?' A asked for opinions, saying, 'Is it wrong for me to want an apology? Is the word Ajumma really that big of a deal?'

Park Sang-hee, a professor of psychology who heard the story, commented, 'It seems the student used the word Ajumma to hurt her back. Since it was done with some malice, the woman got even more triggered,' but added, 'However, the woman was significantly in the wrong for the insults, the hurt caused, and the screaming.' Lawyer Yang Ji-yeol sided with A, stating, 'Given the verbal abuse she poured out and the fact that others heard it, this could constitute the crime of insult. Based on that, it’s clear who is more in the wrong.'

Ajumma